Leinster have too much in the tank for under-powered Castres

No Rory Kockott calling the shots at ten. No Remi Lamerat bursting through the centre. And no Ibrahim Diarra causing mayhem from the back row.

Matt O’Connor did his best to play down the Castres side for tomorrow’s Rugby Champions Cup pool game at the Stade Pierre Antoine, but he must have allowed himself a smile when he first scanned the opposing ranks.

Kockott, Lamerat and Diarra would have been the three chief dangers singled out had you asked any Leinster player or coach to do so, but the impression now is one of the French side mentally washing their hands of Europe.

Again.

Castres have punched well above their weight by winning one French title and reaching the final of the Top 14 again in the last two years, but their tendency to drift whilst on continental duties is well established by now.

“It’s very, very hard to gauge the mindset,” O’Connor admitted. “It’s largely irrelevant for us the fact that there is no Kockott and no Lamerat. It takes a little of the X-factor out of their group which is helpful.”

O’Connor diluted that by pointing out that a fair chunk of the players named have played their part in the club’s recent domestic successes and Leinster will travel with full-back Rob Kearney and tighthead prop Mike Ross left at home.

Both should make the following Guinness PRO12 game against Edinburgh, which will be good news to Joe Schmidt and Ireland, but Leinster still look well equipped to stand up to the expected physical test that Castres should at least deliver.

Summer signing Kane Douglas replaces Mike McCarthy in the second row, Eoin Reddan gives way to Isaac Boss at nine and Luke Fitzgerald slots in at the wing with Zane Kirchner switching to 15, Ian Madigan to 12 and Noel Reid dropping to the bench.

Leinster still aren’t purring like the side of old but they showed enough in the opening defeat of Wasps last week to suggest that this is the sort of test that remains very much within their compass.